Quick answer: As of Nov. 14, 2026, U.S. flights are running again after the FAA halted departures nationwide on Friday, Nov. 13, because of an air traffic control communications failure. The ground stop lasted more than four hours and was lifted at 8:15 p.m. ET. Officials say there is no sign of a cyberattack so far, but the exact cause is still under investigation. Cancellations are still spilling into the weekend.
If your flight was canceled and you chose not to rebook, you are owed a cash refund under federal rules. Here is what happened, what officials have said, and what to do if your trip got caught in it.
| At a glance | What we know |
|---|---|
| What happened | The FAA stopped departures at U.S. airports after a communications problem hit its air traffic control centers |
| When it started | Friday afternoon, Nov. 13. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy put it at 3:36 p.m. ET; other outlets reported closer to 4 p.m. |
| When it ended | 8:15 p.m. ET Friday (CNBC, Al Jazeera) |
| Flights canceled | 9,132 on Friday and 3,374 more by about 6 a.m. ET Saturday, a total of 12,506 (FlightAware via ABC7) |
| Travelers scheduled | About 11,000 flights and 1.5 million passengers were set to depart after 4 p.m. Friday (Cirium) |
| Official cause so far | A “temporary telecommunications outage,” per the FAA; Duffy blamed overloaded, aging routers |
| Cyberattack? | Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said none has been found “so far” |
| Status | Flights resumed; investigation ongoing; delays expected through the weekend |
What happened on Friday?
On Friday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop. That means planes at U.S. airports were held at the gate. Flights already in the air kept flying and landed.
The FAA said on X that it halted flights out of an “abundance of caution” during a “temporary telecommunications outage.” It said the problem was affecting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers, CNBC reported. These are the regional centers that guide planes between airports at cruising altitude.
Duffy told reporters the trouble showed up as “instability” in radar and communications at control centers across the country, NBC News reported. He also said, “We didn’t lose all telecom, we didn’t lose all radar.”
About 600 flights had been diverted by 5:50 p.m. ET, according to aviation data firm Cirium, as reported by the AP. Most of those, 496, returned to the airport they left. Another 104 landed somewhere else.
The FAA lifted the ground stop at 8:15 p.m. ET. Duffy warned that the recovery would be slow. “It’s going to take us some time to unwind what’s happened this afternoon,” he said, according to NBC News.
Timeline: how the ground stop unfolded
| Date and time (ET) | What happened |
|---|---|
| Jan. 11, 2023 | The last nationwide halt of U.S. departures, after an FAA pilot-alert computer system failed |
| September 2026 | A fiber cable cut during construction in New Jersey severed a backup data feed; hundreds of Newark and Philadelphia flights were canceled, delayed or diverted (CNBC) |
| Nov. 10, 2026 | The FAA announced it was expanding a new AI-based traffic tool, called SMART, across its 22 en route centers (Al Jazeera) |
| Nov. 13, mid-afternoon | Communications trouble hits FAA control centers; nationwide ground stop ordered |
| Nov. 13, 5:50 p.m. | About 600 flights diverted, per Cirium |
| Nov. 13, before 6 p.m. | Some international flights start leaving East and West Coast hubs (CNBC) |
| Nov. 13, 8:15 p.m. | FAA lifts the ground stop |
| Nov. 13, evening | JetBlue cancels the rest of Friday’s flights except Europe-bound trips; American issues a travel alert with a refund option |
| Nov. 14, about 6 a.m. | FlightAware counts 3,374 more U.S. cancellations Saturday, per ABC7 |
What caused it?
The short answer is that nobody has given a final cause yet. Here is what officials have said on the record.
Aging equipment. Duffy said the system’s “switches” and “routers actually got overloaded with data.” He said they began giving inconsistent readings. He described parts of the system as old analog telecom equipment, according to NBC News.
Not a cyberattack, so far. Mullin said, “So far what we’ve seen there is no cyberattack. We’re still working through that process,” NBC News reported. Bloomberg, citing an unnamed official, reported that the FBI does not believe a cyberattack caused the failure, according to Al Jazeera.
New equipment on old systems. Mullin also said new equipment added in “patches” overwhelmed older systems, NBC News reported. The AP reported that investigators would look at any link to the FAA’s rollout of the new AI tool.
The AI vendor says it was not the cause. The FAA gave Air Space Intelligence an $875 million contract in June for the SMART system, Al Jazeera reported. The company said on X that the ground stop “is not based on or a result of the SMART system.”
Bottom line on cause: treat any single explanation as preliminary until the FAA releases findings.
Also read: Flight Canceled? Your Right to a Refund (Holiday Travel)
Am I owed a refund?
Yes, in many cases. Under the Department of Transportation’s refund rule, an airline must give you a full refund if it cancels your flight and you decline the rebooking or travel credit it offers. That applies no matter why the flight was canceled.
The same goes for a “significant change.” That includes a domestic flight that leaves or arrives more than 3 hours off schedule, or an international flight off by more than 6 hours, if you choose not to fly.
Refunds should go back to your original payment. DOT says they are due within 7 business days for credit cards and 20 calendar days for other payment types.
What you may not get is extra cash for meals or hotels. NBC News noted that an FAA system failure is generally treated as outside the airlines’ control. Airlines’ own customer service plans for “controllable” delays may not apply. Check your airline’s plan anyway, since some offer more.
| Your situation | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Flight canceled, you don’t want the new flight | Full cash refund of the ticket and unused paid extras |
| Flight canceled, you take the rebooking | No ticket refund; you keep the new flight |
| Flight delayed 3+ hours (domestic) and you skip it | Full refund |
| You flew, but very late | No ticket refund; ask about meal vouchers or miles as goodwill |
| You canceled a flight that still operated | Depends on fare type and any airline travel alert |
| Stuck overnight | Hotel not guaranteed for an FAA outage; travel insurance or some credit cards may cover it |
What airlines have said
American Airlines said it issued a travel alert that “provides customers with additional flexibility and the option to receive a refund,” NBC News reported.
JetBlue canceled the rest of Friday’s flights except Europe-bound trips from New York JFK and Boston. It said it expected more cancellations Saturday.
Southwest said it was restarting a limited number of flights Friday night. NBC News reported that customers will not pay a penalty when they rebook canceled flights for another date.
Delta and United said they were resuming operations Friday night.
Chicago O’Hare alone had more than 700 canceled flights on Friday, ABC7 reported.
Made-up examples: what different travelers should do
These are made-up examples to show how the rules work, not real people.
Dana, Denver to Atlanta. Her 6 p.m. Friday flight was canceled. The airline offered a Sunday seat. She didn’t want it and booked another airline instead. She should request a cash refund for her $289 ticket and the $35 bag fee. She does not have to accept a voucher.
Marcus, Chicago to Phoenix. He was rebooked on a Saturday morning flight and took it. Because he flew, he won’t get a ticket refund. He paid $140 for an airport hotel. He can file a claim with the credit card that paid for the trip, if it includes trip-delay coverage.
Who decides what happens next?
| Who | Role |
|---|---|
| FAA | Runs air traffic control; its technicians are investigating the outage |
| Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy | Oversees the FAA; pushing Congress for more money to replace equipment |
| Homeland Security (Secretary Markwayne Mullin) | Checking for any security or cyber link |
| Congress | Controls funding; senators including Tammy Duckworth want a full investigation |
| Airlines | Decide waivers, rebooking and how fast schedules recover |
| U.S. Department of Transportation | Enforces the refund rules for passengers |
The fight over money for air traffic control
This outage lands in the middle of a funding fight. Congress approved $12.5 billion over five years for air traffic control upgrades last year, NBC News reported, citing Reuters.
The White House has asked lawmakers for about $30 billion more, the AP reported. Duffy said Friday he wants $50 billion for a complete overhaul, according to NBC News and ABC7.
Duffy also warned, “You will have more of these,” unless Congress pays to rebuild the system, ABC7 reported.
Democrats pushed back on the administration. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate aviation subcommittee, called for a “thorough and complete investigation,” Al Jazeera reported. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called it an “unprecedented breakdown,” according to NBC News.
Key dates to watch
| Date | What to watch |
|---|---|
| Nov. 14–15 | Weekend cancellations as airlines move planes and crews back into place |
| Coming days | Any FAA statement on the root cause and the SMART rollout |
| Coming weeks | Congressional hearings or letters demanding answers from the FAA |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | One of the busiest travel days before Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) |
| Ongoing | Whether Congress moves on the $30 billion to $50 billion modernization requests |
Should I worry about Thanksgiving travel?
Duffy said Saturday he expects the system to be “back up and operational” in time for the Thanksgiving rush, NBC News reported. That is a goal, not a guarantee.
Here are simple steps that help in any big disruption:
- Get your airline’s app and turn on alerts. Rebooking is often faster there than at the counter.
- Book morning flights when you can. Delays tend to stack up as the day goes on.
- Avoid tight connections. Leave at least 90 minutes when you change planes on a holiday trip.
- Know the refund rule before you accept a voucher. Cash is your right if the airline cancels and you don’t fly.
- Check your credit card benefits for trip-delay or trip-cancellation coverage.
- Keep receipts for meals, hotels and rides if you plan to make an insurance claim.
Common mistakes after a mass cancellation
- Taking a voucher by default. If you don’t want the new flight, ask for a refund instead.
- Canceling too early. If you cancel a flight that ends up flying, you may lose the refund right. Wait for the airline to act, unless a travel alert covers you.
- Not checking the bag fee. If you didn’t fly, you should get that fee back too.
- Clicking social media “refund helpers.” Scammers pose as airline agents after big outages. Only use the airline’s official site, app or phone number.
FAQ
Was the FAA ground stop a cyberattack?
Officials say there is no evidence of one so far. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said no cyberattack had been found, but the review is not finished.
How long did the ground stop last?
More than four hours. It began Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, and the FAA lifted it at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Can I get a refund if my flight was canceled because of the FAA?
Yes. DOT rules require a full refund when an airline cancels your flight and you decline the alternative. The reason for the cancellation does not change that.
Will the airline pay for my hotel?
Not necessarily. An FAA outage is generally treated as outside the airline’s control, so hotel and meal coverage is not guaranteed. Ask anyway, and check your travel insurance or credit card.
Has this happened before?
Yes. The last nationwide halt of departures was on Jan. 11, 2023, when an FAA pilot-alert system failed. A smaller outage in September 2026 hit Newark and Philadelphia.
Bottom line
Friday’s nationwide ground stop was the first since January 2023. It canceled more than 12,500 flights by Saturday morning. The government points to old, overloaded communications gear, not hackers, but the final cause is not known yet. If your flight was canceled and you didn’t fly, ask for your cash refund. Then keep an eye on your airline app this weekend and before Thanksgiving.
Last reviewed: Nov. 14, 2026. This is a developing story. We will add a dated update at the top when the FAA names a cause or Congress acts.
Sources: CNBC (Nov. 13, 2026), AP via PBS NewsHour (Nov. 13, 2026), NBC News live updates (Nov. 13–14, 2026), ABC7 New York live updates (Nov. 14, 2026), Al Jazeera / Reuters (Nov. 13, 2026), U.S. Department of Transportation refund rule.
Featured image: Air route traffic controllers at work at the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center (file photo, not taken during the Nov. 13 outage). Photo: Federal Aviation Administration / Wikimedia Commons, public domain; edited by Nexgen Headlines.
